Local council goes mad with 'no parking' signs

Transport officials at Cornwall Council have been accused of wasting taxpayers' money after installing 63 'no parking' signs on a single one-mile stretch of road.
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Residents of the seaside town of Newquay were puzzled to find West Pentire Road – a narrow country lane already painted with double-yellow lines – dotted with the bright yellow warning signs at 84ft intervals.

While such overzealous parking enforcement could at least be understood in congested London, locals were left questioning why the signs were needed on a road where very few people attempt to park anyway.

"During the summer there can be a bit of trouble with people parking on the grass verges and that's what they're trying to stop," said one resident, to the Daily Mail.

"But nothing so bad as to warrant so many signs in one mile. They are lining the road, even opposite each other - it seems like a crazy and unnecessary expense."

Local councillor Lisa Shuttleworth admitted that she had been approached by residents who were shocked at the sheer number of signs that had been erected.

"There have been talks going on and the parish council is trying to see if they can change the amount of signs," she said.

However, Cornwall Council has defended the signs, saying that they were necessary to enforce seasonal parking restrictions.

The signs have also been criticised by The Campaign to Protect Rural England, which, since 1996, has been lobbying councils across Britain to remove pointless roadside clutter.

The group estimates that around two thirds of road signs in rural areas are unnecessary, and expressed its dismay at the newly erected signs on West Pentire Road.

"It sounds like utter nonsense, but someone, somewhere has come up with the rationale for this," said spokesman Orlando Kimber to the Daily Mail.

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